So how is the production of pine nuts this year? "The quality of pine nuts is extremely good this year, but the production is low as there is less rain in Chilas," said Saif ullah. 

 

Generally speaking, pine nut production in controlled by alternate-bearing cycles, with higher production when there is abundant rainfall and lower production when there is less rainfall. In addition, the quality of pine nuts is related to altitude. The quality of pine nuts is poorer at higher altitudes, whereas the quality of pine nuts at lower altitudes is better. "This year, due to low rainfall, Pakistan's pine nut production has dropped by 30%," Seth Azeem Shah said.

 

 

 

Due to the high value of pine nuts and their "delicate" nature - easily spoiled by moisture, air freight service has become the preferred option for the transportation of pine nuts. They are shipped from their producing areas to Lahore and then transported by air to China for further processing in Zhejiang, among others. 

 

"Every year, pine nuts are exported to China for five months from the end of September until February next year. Last year, we shipped 2,000 tons of pine nuts from Pakistan to China, and this year we expect the amount to reach 3,000-5,000 tons, doubling from that of last year," said Wu Qingtao, the sales director of the aviation management department of YTO Express (International) Holdings Ltd, in an interview with CEN. 

 

Many local pine nut traders said that if pine nuts are transported by land, it only costs Rs 400-500 (about RMB 12-16) per kilogram for shipping and takes 4-5 hours to get to China. If they are delivered to China by air, it costs Rs 1,200-1,300 per kilogram (about RMB 38-41). The ease of transportation and lower freight costs will make it more favorable to export pine nuts to China. 

 

Shahid Zaffar, inspector of the General Customs Administration of Gilgit-Baltistan, said that the Gilgit-Baltistan region mainly exports dried fruits such as pine nuts. Diamar is a backward region of Gilgit-Baltistan, and its residents mainly depend on pine nut exports for their livelihood. 

 

"The survey shows that pine nuts worth Rs 4 billion (about RMB 128 million) are produced here and then exported to China. According to Sust's trade records for 2018 and 2019, the export of pine nuts to China through Sust Dry Port is about 540 tons. It is expected that the export will reach 1,000 tons from next year."

 

 

"The largest export market for Pakistani pine nuts is Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and its surrounding areas. We bring raw materials from Pakistan and Afghanistan, and then roast and package them in China, the largest market for pine nuts. We also export them to other countries," Seth Azeem Shah said.

 

 

 

It is worth noting that Pakistani pine nuts are already expensive in China, but the price of pine nuts from Afghanistan is even higher. However, the high price can't keep Chinese consumers from loving pine nuts, which can be felt at the just concluded CIIE. 

 

Afghan pine nuts sales reached 120,000 cans during one-night’s promotion at the CIIE in 2021, what is the secret? 

 

At the 5th CIIE held in Shanghai, Huang Yan, the founder of Miguo, an Afghan pine nut brand, shared the secret. "We pick pine nuts late in Afghanistan, and pine nuts can only be picked when they are ripe. We use high-tech equipment to screen the size of pine nuts and divide them into three grades, with the length of A+pine nuts being 17-20mm, that of AA+pine nuts 21-23mm, and that of AAA+pine nuts 24-26mm." In this way, only 1 kilogram of top quality pine nuts can be selected out of 100 kilograms.

 

 

 

At the booth of Afghan pine nuts at the 5th CIIE this year, a plastic bottle with less than 400 grams of pine nut was sold for RMB 200, and many buyers purchased several bottles. WAHEED, an exhibitor from Afghanistan, said, "Afghan pine nuts are selling very well here. More than 20 bottles can be sold every day. We have not only established a brand but also a company in China." Consumers generally believe that the size and quality of the nuts are more important than the price. In China, the price of top quality Afghan pine nuts gift box can reach up to a RMB 1,000 (about Rs 31,446) per kilogram.

 

 

 

Azeem Shah has researched the Chinese nut market, and he found that the purchasing power of Chinese consumers is less affected by price, so he is more optimistic about the prospects of Pakistani nuts in China. 

 

"There are cashew nuts, pistachios, dried apricots, walnuts and others in Pakistan, but not everyone can afford to buy cashew nuts and walnuts. For example, if the price of pine nuts is RMB 100/kg, the demand is about 30,000 to 40,000 tons in China. If the price increases to RMB 200/kg, it will go to the elite circles. If the price goes up to RMB 250/kg, the demand will drop to 80-100,000 tons. If it rises to RMB 500/kg, the demand remains at 400 to 500 tons as some people will not be affected by the price increase."

 

 

A buyer makes a QR code payment for pine nuts from an Afghan exhibitor at the Afghan pine nut booth at the 5th CIIE. (Chen Jiaqi/China Economic Net)